The Royal Patronage of the Stage - The Responsibility of a Royal Visit - An Ill-timed Compliment - The Royal Box - Its Position and Fittings - Honouring an Actor - The Consideration of a King Why the Police are on Duty

Periodically, while they are in town, a paragraph is published to the effect that

"Their Majesties honoured the-------theatre with their presence last night to see such and such a play."

It has not, of course, often happened during the present reign, for Court mourning kept their Majesties more or less in retirement during the first year after King Edward's death, and three months of the winter season were occupied with their Indian tour. There is no doubt, however, that the paragraph will appear frequently in the future, for King George and Queen Mary are fond of the theatre - a fact which was attested by their presence at the gala performance at His Majesty's in commemoration of the Coronation.

The First Gentleman In The Land

Although the sovereignty that doth hedge a king - to alter slightly Shakespeare's words - is such that the quality of kingship can never be put away, it is rather in his capacity as a private gentleman that the King visits the theatre. Only on the rare occasions of state performances does he discard the simple evening dress of the English gentleman in favour of one of the many uniforms he wears. For such rare occasions all necessary arrangements are made by the Lord Chamberlain, and some of the officials of that functionary's department have to be present to receive the King. As a general thing, however, the arrangements are made by Mr. George Ashton, the head of the firm of Ashton and Mitchell's Libraries, who performed the same duties during King Edward's reign, as well as for many years while his Majesty was Prince of Wales. Indeed, from first to last, Mr. Ashton has accompanied Royalty to the theatre for over thirty years.

So strictly is the King's visit regarded as private that no official notice is taken of his presence, although the manager of the theatre is, whenever possible, present to attend him to his box. If, however, he is playing, his business representative, the acting manager, officiates in his stead.

A Well-intentioned Blunder

During the whole of the time Mr. Ashton has been accompanying the Royal family to the theatre he recalls only one occasion on which any notice was ever taken of the presence of the Royal visitor. It happened when King Edward was Prince of Wales. No one will need reminding that after the Prince Consort's death Queen Victoria never went to the theatre, though in the later years of her life the theatre sometimes went to her, and she had certain plays performed at Balmoral and at Windsor. During that long time King Edward maintained the Royal interest in the theatre, which has always been very great.

On the night in question he went to see a play which was being acted by an American company, under the direction of an American manager. At the end of the first act "God Bless the Prince of Wales" was played by the orchestra. The manager, no doubt, intended it as a compliment, but the Prince did not look at it in the same light, for it drew attention to him, and caused him to be stared at very much.

When the Court is in residence in London a programme of what is going on at all the theatres is sent every week to Buckingham Palace for the King's inspection. If the King desires to go to the theatre he sends for Mr. Ashton, and either asks him to recommend a play, or announces his intention of going to see a certain piece. Mr. Ashton then telephones to the theatre to reserve the Royal box. Many people are under the impression that when the King goes to the theatre he does so without paying. No belief could be more erroneous. The King pays for his box in just the same way as does anyone else.

The Royal Box

If the play is a great success and the seats are in great demand it may happen that the Royal box has already been sold for the particular evening the King has selected. When that happens the purchaser of the box is communicated with by the manager, and, as a matter of courtesy, he consents to occupy another box, or to exchange his seats for another night. It need hardly be said that it has never happened that anyone who has bought the Royal box, or one of the two boxes which are thrown into one when the King or the King and Queen go to the play, has ever refused to yield his right to his place to accommodate the King.

When two boxes are used in this way it is always easy for those who occupy either on other nights to know that they are in a portion of the Royal box, for the partition between the two can be readily distinguished as being merely of a temporary character, so that it may be removed easily.

While the Royal box is commonly at the right-hand side of most theatres, looking towards the stage, it is sometimes placed on the opposite side of the house. The only factor which governs the side of the house on which the Royal box is placed is that it can be reached from the private entrance which the King and the other members of the Royal Family always use. It is obvious that the King cannot go through the front of the theatre in the ordinary way, seeing that he might have to wait while other members of the audience who had arrived before him were going to their places, and that, of course, would never do. If, on the other hand, the public had to wait at one side until the King had been shown to his box, it would undoubtedly cause unnecessary inconvenience and delay, besides attracting an amount of attention which the Sovereign is always anxious to avoid.

A Fortune-bringing Visit

Although the King's visit to the theatre is planned several days in advance, no one, except those intimately connected with it, are aware of the fact. The first intimation the public ever receives of the intended visit is when the awning is being erected over the Royal entrance. As this entrance is generally in a side street it does not attract as much notice as would otherwise be the case, and few members of the audience know in advance of the pleasure they will have in seeing the Sovereign, in addition to the play.